1 THE TRIAL OF JOSEPH KNIGHT BY MAY SUMBWANYAMBE SCENE 1. A BUSY COURT ROOM. AS JOHN SWINTON ENTERS THE COURT, ALL STAND. 1. CLERK: Silence in the court! THE COURT QUIETENS. SWINTON SITS DOWN AND SO DO THOSE ASSEMBLED IN THE COURTS. A BEAT PASSES IN SILENCE, WE HEAR A FEW WHISPERS FROM THOSE EAGERLY AWAITING SWINTON’S WORDS, THE FEELING OF GREAT ANTICIPATION AMONGST A LARGE GROUP OF ASSEMBLED PEOPLE… 2. SWINTON: It is a great question, does a Black, the moment he sets foot upon British ground, become immediately free? 3. There are only two questions of law before us today. That is, first: Whether the defender, Sir John Wedderburn has the right to the Persuer, Joseph Knight's services for life without wages. Secondly: the question of whether the defender has the right to send the Persuer back to Jamaica against his will. 2 SWINTON CONTINUES IN GIVING HIS JUDGEMENT (FOR WORDS SEE SCENE 14), BUT HIS VOICE BECOMES MUFFLED UNDER KNIGHT’S. 1. KNIGHT(V.O) My name is Joseph Knight, I was born in 1753. I was taken from Cape Coast Castle to Jamaica in 1760 by a Captain ‘John Knight’ on a ship called The Phoenix. The man sitting against me in court today was a planter in Jamaica, John Wedderburn. He purchased me at auction around 1762. I was eleven. As I speak to you right now, at the age of 21, I have already been many things in my life: a West African, a Jamaican slave, a runaway slave, a litigant, but this isn’t a story about all that, it’s a story about how I became a freeman in Scotland. The history books will tell you, that I became free on this day in 1774, when John Swinton laid down the famous judgement I’m sat in the court listening to now. They’ll also tell you that when Sir John Wedderburn appealed Swinton’s decision, some four years later in 1778, in Edinburgh’s Court of Sessions, Scotland struck down slavery entire - some 55 years before Wilberforce would have his Abolition of slavery Act passed in Westminster. 3 1. KNIGHT(V.O) And whilst all this true, no matter what the history books will tell you, In my heart I became free before the day John Swinton gave his judgement, I became free when I fell in love with a lowly servant in the Wedderburn household called Annie Thompson. 2. For all the years since Sir John had purchased me, we had been as close as father and son, but that all changed in 1772. SCENE 2. THE PRIVATE STUDY KNIGHT IS SAT BY A WOODEN TABLE, READING A BOOK. ENTER ANNIE SHE PULLS UP A CHAIR NEXT TO HIM. 3. ANNIE: What are you reading Joseph Knight? KNIGHT DOESN’T RESPOND, SO... 4. ANNIE: Sir William Blackstone? Sounds fancy. KNIGHT CONTINUES IGNORING ANNIE. 5. ANNIE: What does it say? That page? 6. ANNIE: Jesus Joseph, there’s more to life than just books you know? 4 ANNIE STANDS, AND MOVES TO EXIT. 1. ANNIE: Well I can see where I’m not wanted. I had better get back to work before my absence is noticed. 2. KNIGHT: Wait. 3. ANNIE: What? 4. KNIGHT: I don’t know. Stay a while. 5. ANNIE: Well, some of us have actually got work to do round here. The rest of us all don’t get the privilege of time off to read. 6. KNIGHT: Just a little longer. Please. 7. ANNIE: Why? 8. KNIGHT: I don’t know…Because. 9. ANNIE: Because what? 10. KNIGHT: Because you’ve distracted me now, so we may as well talk. ANNIE LAUGHS. 11. KNIGHT: What? What’s so funny? 5 1. ANNIE: You Joseph. You’re so funny. You really do know how to make a girl feel wanted don’t you? KNIGHT LAUGHS A LITTLE TOO, AS THEY SETTLE DOWN. 2. KNIGHT: Sorry Annie. 3. ANNIE: You will be. ANNIE SITS BACK DOWN. 4. ANNIE: So, what does it say then? Your fancy book by Mr William Blackstone... 5. KNIGHT: “There is nothing which so generally strikes the imagination, and engages the affections of mankind, as the right of property; or that sole and despotic dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the world, in total exclusion of the right of any other individual in the universe” 6. ANNIE: Very fancy. I really must read William Blackstone more. 7. KNIGHT: You haven’t read any Blackstone to begin with. 8. ANNIE: How do you know that? (Pause) 6 1. ANNIE: Did it take you long to do that? 2. KNIGHT: To do what? 3. ANNIE: Memorise all they fancy words. 4. KNIGHT: Long enough. 5. ANNIE: What other tricks can you do? 6. KNIGHT: I don’t do tricks. 7. ANNIE: Oh, do you think I’m impressed? I’m not. 8. KNIGHT: I don’t care. 9. ANNIE: And if I could do tricks like that, I wouldn’t waste my remembering on boring things. Do you want to know what I’d remember? 10. KNIGHT: No. 11. ANNIE: Things that make you smile. Not the things that hurt your head, thinking about. I don’t suppose you know any things like that, you being Mr Serious all the time. (Pause) 12. ANNIE: I’m sorry I don’t mean to criticize you. 7 1. KNIGHT: It’s alright. I don’t mind. I like talking to you. 2. ANNIE: Even when I criticize you? 3. KNIGHT: Even then. 4. ANNIE: Good. ANNIE LAUGHS. 5. KNIGHT: You can talk to me about anything Annie. You know that. 6. ANNIE: Anything? 7. KNIGHT: Yes. You know that. 8. ANNIE: Good. Well the thing is… 9. KNIGHT: Yes? 10. ANNIE: I’m pregnant. 11. NIGHT: Oh. 12. ANNIE: I think we should talk about it. 13. KNIGHT: Yes…definitely…talk…about it. 14. ANNIE: This is going good. 8 SCENE 3. A WET AND MUDDY ROAD IN THE PERTHSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE. A BROKEN-DOWN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE. INSIDE THE CARRIAGE WEDDERBURN IS WAITING PATIENTLY. MARGARET IS WAITING OUTSIDE THE CARRIAGE. MARGARET MOVES FORWARD ON SEEING SOMETHING IN THE DISTANCE… SHE WAITS A LONG BEAT, TO BE SURE OF WHAT SHE HAS SEEN. AND THEN… 1. MARGARET: Here it comes. WEDDERBURN COMES OUT THE CARRIAGE AND LOOKS ACROSS AND SEES FOR HIMSELF. 2. WEDDERBURN: He didn’t find the horses…. (Pause) 3. WEDDERBURN: ‘It’s’ name is Joseph. You should try using it. 4. MARGARET: And why would I do that? 5. WEDDERBURN: Maybe then you would be able to see that all "slaves" are not just items on a ledger book that can be tossed away on an immature whim…I want you to make peace with Joseph. I want you to do it today. 9 KNIGHT ENTERS FROM UP THE ROAD, HE IS OUT OF BREATH. HE STOPS UPON GETTING CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE TWO AND CATCHES HIS BREATH. 1. KNIGHT: I looked everywhere. 2. MARGARET: If the slave really did look everywhere, the horses would be found. 3. WEDDERBURN: Perhaps you should have gone and looked for them yourself? 4. MARGARET: Perhaps I should. 5. WEDDERBURN: Don't mind young Margaret, Joseph. God often gives wealth and privilege to those whom he forgets to give honour and common decency. Isn't that right, Margaret? 6. MARGARET: The Lord, works in mysterious ways, husband. WEDDERBURN STARTS TO WALK OFF. 7. WEDDERBURN: Try not to kill each other when I’m gone. 8. MARGARET: Gone? Where do you go now? 9. WEDDERBURN: To get us horses. 10 1. MARGARET: In country as open as this? Well if your black could not find them they must surely have stretched their legs far. They could be gone a few miles out by now. 2. WEDDERBURN: I do not go for the old horses. We are not far now from Balindean. I'll walk the distance home and return soon with fresh horses. 3. MARGARET: Will you not send your creature? 4. WEDDERBURN: Joseph has done enough today. WEDDERBURN TURNS AND HEADS OFF DOWN THE ROAD. MARGARET GOES AFTER HIM. 5. MARGARET: Husband? Husband? How long do you think you will be? 6. WEDDERBURN: However long it takes, Wife. However long it takes. EXIT WEDDERBURN. MARGARET AND KNIGHT WATCH HIM LEAVE. AFTER A BEAT MARGARET COMES BACK TO KNIGHT. 11 1. MARGARET: He thinks leaving us stranded out here together will make me like you. He is wrong. I’ll never like you. Not ever. MARGARET GETS BACK INTO THE CARRIAGE. 2. MARGARET: You will wait in the driver seat. Not in the carriage. KNIGHT STANDS WHERE HE IS, LOOKING AT THE CARRIAGE FOR A LONG BEAT. HE GOES TO THE CARRIAGE AND SITS BY THE CARRIAGE DOOR. 3. KNIGHT: Lady Margaret? KNIGHT WAITS FOR A RESPONSE. GETS NONE. SO… 4. KNIGHT: I know more about your husband than just about any human being in his life KNIGHT WAITS FOR A RESPONSE. GETS NONE. SO… 5. KNIGHT: Have you ever thought that it might be in your interests as his wife to maybe ask me a thing or two about him? Because if you asked, I probably would tell you. If I knew the answer. KNIGHT WAITS FOR A RESPONSE. GETS NONE. SO… 12 1. KNIGHT: Well, you know where I am, should you want to talk. KNIGHT STANDS FROM WHERE HE IS KNEELING, HE STARTS TO CLIMB UP TO THE DRIVER’S SEAT, WHEN THE DOOR OF THE CARRIAGE OPENS. KNIGHT STOPS.